NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Singapore's PathGen Dx will develop a pathogen detection diagnostic kit based on the Affymetrix GeneChip platform, the companies said today.
PathGen Dx, a spinoff from the Genome Institute of Singapore, plans to develop a test called the PathChip that will detect the presence of more than 70,000 viral and bacterial genomes in human samples and identify co-infecting pathogens.
The company has signed an agreement under the "Powered by Affymetrix" program. Affy will manufacture a GeneChip microarray for PathGen, and the diagnostic kit will include PathGen's proprietary reagents and an automated software package.
The Powered by Affymetrix program also provides PathGen with access to Affy's international distribution network. Other PbA program partners include Roche Diagnostics and Pathwork Diagnostics.
Researchers at GIS began developing the PathChip in 2004. In 2008 the project secured funding from Exploit Technologies, the technology transfer arm of Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology, and Research.
PathGen was recently awarded a Technology Enterprise Commercialization Scheme grant from Singapore's Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board.